The Life of James Renwick: A Historical Sketch Of His Life, Labours And Martyrdom And A; Vindication Of His Character And TestimonyHouston, Thomas
History
The Life of James Renwick: A Historical Sketch Of His Life, Labours And Martyrdom And A; Vindication Of His Character And Testimony
Houston, Thomas
Covenanters; Renwick, James, 1662-1688; Scotland -- Church history -- 17th century
Renwick returned from Holland in the autumn of 1683. Escaping some
dangers at sea, he visited Dublin, where he bore a faithful testimony
against the silence of ministers in the public cause, and left behind
him a favourable impression on the minds of some of his Christian zeal
and devotedness. In September, 1683, he landed in Scotland, and on the
3d of November, he entered on his arduous work of preaching the Gospel
in the fields, and lifting up the standard of a covenanted testimony. He
preached on that day at Darmead in the parish of Cambusnethan. From that
time, till he closed his glorious career and won the martyr's crown, he
preached with eminent fidelity and great power the glorious gospel of
the grace of God. His public labours were continued for a period of
nearly five years, and extended to many districts in the east, south,
and west of Scotland. In remote glens, unfrequented moorlands, often in
the night season, and amid storm and tempest, when the men of blood
could not venture out of their lairs, to pursue the work of destruction,
he displayed a standard for truth, and eagerly laboured to win souls to
Christ. His last sermon was preached at _Borrowstoness_, from Isaiah
liii. 1, on January 29th, 1688.
Though he ever testified boldly against the defections of the times,
especially the Indulgence, and insisted on disowning the papist James,
as not being a constitutional monarch, and on maintaining fully
Presbyterian order and discipline, and all the covenanted attainments,
his discourses were eminently evangelical. His darling themes were
salvation through Christ, and the great matters of practical godliness.
With wonderful enlargement and attractive sweetness, he unfolded the
covenant of grace--the matchless person and love of Christ--the finished
atonement, and its sufficiency for advancing the glory of the Godhead,
and for the complete salvation of elect sinners. Considering Renwick's
youth, being but _nineteen_ years of age when he entered on his great
work, he was endowed with singular qualifications as a preacher of the
gospel. These remarkably fitted him for the great work to which he was
called--promoting the Redeemer's glory, in awakening and converting
sinners, and in edifying and comforting the Church in a season of
suffering and trial. He was, moreover, gifted with personal talents,
natural and acquired, that rendered him an attractive and powerful
preacher of the gospel. His aspect was solemn and engaging. His personal
appearance, even when harassed by incessant labours and privations,
night wanderings and hair-breadth escapes from enemies, was sweet and
prepossessing. His manner in preaching was lucid and affecting. His
whole heart was thrown into his discourses. He often rose to the height
of the most moving eloquence; and with the constant reality of God's
presence and love, and the dread realities of persecution, and violent
death, and eternity, before him, he poured out his soul in such strains
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